Virtual Background Disasters, Creators Grab the Spotlight
Creator Cred: More than 200 digital content creators were given dedicated “creator credentials” to attend the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. —CNBC
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SEPTEMBER 19 | 3:00PM | ZOOM?
Putting AI to Work Event
?AI is a lot of talk, but where’s the action? Join us on Sept.19th at 3 PM Eastern as our experts including?Mike Colombo , a UX designer and course creator, and Gary Oppenheimer, the founder of the not-for-profit Ample Harvest, take you through their way of using AI to get real l#(*# done.??
Why Your Virtual Background Sucks??
Alfred Poor , our technical editor, reminds us that video conferencing backgrounds say a lot about who you are and how professional you are. Here’s more from Alfred:
Friends don’t let friends use Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, or most other platforms’ virtual backgrounds. Why? Because in most cases it does not make a professional impression, and it creates unnecessary distractions.
But if you do have an imperfect office (or bedroom or kitchen), here are a few tips on using virtual backgrounds. Unfortunately, the execution of virtual backgrounds often leaves something to be desired. Body parts can appear and disappear at random, hand gestures show with webbed fingers, the background might show through your clothing, and if you have long hair, it can look as though you’ve gone to Waterworld as it swirls around your head. Not a great look. Why does this happen? Simply put, your computer is trying to figure out what part of the image is you, and what part is the real background. It then tries to erase the real background and replace it with your virtual background. As you might imagine, this takes an enormous amount of processing power, and even then the computer doesn’t always get it right. In addition to making mistakes, this extra computational load can degrade your system’s performance so that it affects the resolution or frame rate of your video.
You might be able to improve your use of a virtual background by placing a green screen behind you. This simplifies the calculations for your computer because it only needs to replace green pixels with your virtual image. You can get a backdrop with a frame at a reasonable cost, such as the versions offered by Westcott . If you have limited space for green screens, you can use one that attaches to the back of your chair, like the Webaround Big Shot Gen 2 .
It also helps to use a computer with lots of RAM and a powerful graphics card (GPU). Another helper is OBS Studio , a powerful app that can solve lots of video challenges. OBS is a little wonky, but here’s a good tutorial about using it to add a virtual background. Or, you can skip the virtual background altogether. Just tidy up your office and be in your element.
To find out more about these and other items that can make your events better, be sure to explore the VEG online database of hardware products.
Creator Economy Summit at the White House — A Selfie Fest
A few things were made abundantly clear at the White House Creator Economy Conference , a day hosted for 100 creator types by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). Here are a few takeaways.
Creators are being taken seriously. Opening remarks from Christian Tom, the Director of Digital Strategy, likened the creator economy to the infrastructure changes that happened as we went from roads to railroads. He and other White House speakers stressed the care and feeding of this nascent but powerful industry.?
President Biden had a good time. It’s probably the most relaxing day that Biden has spent in awhile. He generously appeared in numerous selfies taken with the visiting creators and opened his remarks by saying that his grandchildren would be getting their news and opinions from people like the creators in the room. He joked that "there are more people who want to go into your (the creator) business than any other these days… When I retire, where do you think I’m going?” Another good Joe joke was “That’s why I’ve invited you to the White House, because I’m looking for a job.”
Creators clean up nice No torn jeans or half-naked dresses for this creator crowd. The guests who showed up were whistle-clean and suited up and there was the recognition that they had an important role to play in shaping a new industry. Below is our own Jim Louderback , a board member of the Virtual Events Group and our partner at the NAB Show’s Creator Lab.
The Creator Industry is Getting Serious? Despite the rollicking fun, the speakers (both creators and government) addressed pressing issues like mental health, fair pay, ownership and privacy, and the role of AI in the creator industry. Addressed, but not all that much, was the looming fate of TikTok.?
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Scuttlebutt
Burning Man Dimming
Though it began in 1986 in San Francisco, the festival was moved to the Nevada desert in 1990, where it burned strong for years. But the pandemic forced a two-year hiatus for the event. Then, what we can only attribute to global warming struck, cramping Burning Man’s free-wheeling style. Two years of extreme weather conditions made the festival especially uncomfortable. Normally the Nevada desert comes with high heat, dust storms, and cool nights. But the last two years were bonkers. Last year, thanks to rains and mudslides, some eventgoers were stuck onsite and told to ration supplies. This year, for good reason, the event has failed to sell out … a first.?
WorldCoin Foundation wants Your Eyeballs
Sam Altman is best known as the CEO of OpenAI , the parent company of ChatGPT. His other venture, The WorldCoin Foundation , wants to scan the eyeballs of every living soul on the planet in the hopes of creating a test of humanness and a new method of using digital currency worldwide. A metallic “orb” scans your iris and designates it a unique ID, or IRIStag. According to the Wall Street Journal , WorldCoin is not garnering much love. It’s been raided in Hong Kong, banned in Spain, fined in Argentina, investigated in Kenya, and scrutinized in the EU. Today, Worldcoin reports it has verified more than ten million people using WorldCoin-compatible wallets across almost 40 countries since it launched just over a year ago. As we’ve come to reckon with ChatGPT’s role in our future, it might be prudent to keep WorldCoin in our crosshairs as well.?
To Buy an AI Phone or PC Depends on Your Thirst for Getting There First
Last week, Alphabet's Google unveiled its Pixel 9 phone lineup and showcased how it's integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into its devices at the Made By Google event. In June, Apple announced the inclusion of AI into its phones and PCs. Recently, Microsoft announced its CoPilot+ PCs standard, which uses special Qualcomm chips with more AI processing power, and a keyboard that adds a CoPilot button . Riding the trend, Lenovo reports a sales surge of 65% thanks to the launch of their Copilot+ PCs. AI is ushering in a new generation of hardware, providing a reason to upgrade your laggard mobile and laptop devices.?
But AI hardware comes with a premium price tag. I set out to replace an aging laptop two weeks ago and found, overall, that I’d be paying about an $800 premium to have some AI smarts in my device. You’ll spend between $2k- $3K for an AI-enhanced laptop versus the older models for less than $1,000. A Samsung Z-Fold with Galaxy AI, a miracle of state-of-the-art engineering, will set you back more than $2,000. Non-AI phones cost at least $500 less.?
Why wait for AI hardware? A few good reasons. At the moment it’s unclear whether you’re going to need to pay a subscription fee for some of the enhanced AI services. And first generation devices are akin to being a beta tester. Companies like to get out the product at the door and leave the debugging to you. The companies are hoping for early adopters who can’t wait for the AI dust to settle. If you’re not the pioneering type with cash to burn, you can wait. You’ll still have access to AI, just not as fast and seamlessly.?
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Immersive Sports?
Sports Business Journal put the spotlight on Edge Sound Research this week. Edge is making sound an integral part of the immersive experience at its events. One example is how it attaches a transducer to a seat in a stadium that’s wired to the venue’s sound system. They’ve figured out how to align its vibrations with the seat’s material, creating master-grade audio that emanates from your seat. The sound that’s transmitted can be as intimate as the bounce of a basketball, says the company. The same technology can turn walls, couches, or seat cushions, into sound machines by manipulating vibrations.
The Virtual Event Group
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The Virtual Events Group is building great things and we can help you put your best tech foot forward at your next event. Here’s our 2024/2025 schedule .?
One of the newest events in our stable is Wall Street Green Digital , a 12-hour virtual summit that circumnavigates the globe bringing you the best ideas in climate technology. Read the release .?